There are many causes of wrist pain. You can often ease the pain yourself. But talk to your GP if the pain does not improve.
Common causes of wrist pain
Some of the common causes of wrist pain include:
- a sprain - trouble moving your wrist with pain, swelling or bruising from an injury
- tendonitis - pain and swelling from repetitive movements
- arthritis - pain and swelling in your joints
- carpal tunnel syndrome - aching pain with numbness or difficulty gripping things
- ganglion cyst - a lump near a joint or tendon
- a broken wrist - sudden sharp pain and swelling, usually from an injury
How you can ease wrist pain
There are things you can do to help ease a pain in your wrist.
Do
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rest your wrist when you can
-
put an ice pack (or a bag of frozen peas) in a towel and place it on your wrist for up to 20 minutes every 2 to 3 hours
-
take off any jewellery if your wrist looks swollen
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avoid activities that cause pain - for example, typing, using vibrating tools for work, or playing an instrument
-
wear a splint to support your wrist and ease pain, especially at night - you can get these at most pharmacies
-
use gadgets or tools that make difficult or painful tasks easier - for example, to open jars or chop vegetables
-
use a soft pad to support your wrist as you type
Don't
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do not use ibuprofen in the first 48 hours after an injury
-
do not use heat packs or have hot baths for the first 2 to 3 days after an injury
-
do not lift heavy objects or grip anything too tightly
A pharmacist can help
Your pharmacist can tell you:
- what painkiller to take
- the best splint to support your wrist and ease pain - flexible rubber splints are useful if you need to use your wrist
- if you need to see a GP or go to an injury unit
Non-urgent advice: Contact your GP if:
- the pain is severe or stops you doing normal activities
- the pain is getting worse or keeps coming back
- the pain has not improved after treating it at home for 2 weeks
- you have tingling or loss of sensation in your hand or wrist
- you have diabetes - hand problems can be more serious if you have diabetes
Emergency action required: Go to an injury unit or emergency department (ED) if you:
- have severe pain
- feel faint, dizzy or sick from the pain
- heard a snap, grinding or popping noise at the time of the injury
- cannot move your wrist or hold things
- notice a change in shape or colour in your wrist
These are signs that you may have a broken wrist.
What we mean by severe pain
Severe pain:
- always there and so bad it's hard to think or talk
- you cannot sleep
- it's very hard to move, get out of bed, go to the bathroom, wash or dress
- you cannot work due to the pain
Moderate pain:
- always there
- makes it hard to concentrate or sleep
- you can manage to get up, wash or dress
Mild pain:
- comes and goes
- is annoying but does not stop you from doing things like going to work
Content supplied by the NHS and adapted for Ireland by the HSE
